Elderly Shijiazhuang Practitioner Illegally Tried—Lawyer Pleads Not Guilty

(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Wu Jinhu was illegally tried by the Shijiazhuang City Yuhua District Court on May 6, 2015. Mr. Wu's lawyer pleaded not guilty on his behalf, and stated that practicing Falun Gong was perfectly legal. The lawyer further argued that based on the facts presented in court, Mr. Wu's case should be withdrawn.

Mr. Wu Jinhu, nearly 70, was arrested on December 29, 2014, by more than a dozen police officers from the Yuhua Road Criminal Police Squadron, affiliated with the Shijiazhuang Yuhua Police Department. His has been held for five months in the Shijiazhuang No. 1 Detention Center. While he was detained his blood pressure remained high. Even though his systolic reading reached 230 mm Hg, the authorities refused to release him. Concerned about his physical condition, his family looked for help, and called attention to his deteriorating condition through various organizations. Their appeals were all ignored.

The Shijiazhuang City Yuhua District Court put Mr. Wu on trial on the morning of May 6, 2015. Mr. Wu's lawyer said that prosecuting Falun Gong practitioners, citing Article 300 of the Criminal Law, is misapplication of the law. When offering defense regarding facts surrounding this case, the lawyer asserted that “confession” alone obtained by the Party under interrogation did not amount to conclusive incrimination, and that based on the facts presented in court, the case should be withdrawn. The lawyer stated that practicing Falun Gong was perfectly legal.

Six other practitioners were arrested at the same time Mr. Wu was, on the morning of December 29, 2014, including Ms. Li Mingfang, Ms. Song Qiuxia, and Ms. Zhang Wenying, who is 76 years old. The police forcibly videotaped and body searched them. The practitioners were then handcuffed and dragged into police vehicles. They were directly taken to the basement of the Shijiazhuang Police Department for interrogation.

The police ransacked their homes the following day. The officers forcibly took blood samples and fingerprints from the practitioners, and photographed them. Ms. Li and Ms. Song were taken to the Shijiazhuang No. 2 Detention Center.

Mr. Wu's systolic blood pressure reached 190 mm Hg, and he could die at any moment. The detention center twice refused to admit him. Eventually, pressured by higher CCP officials, Mr. Wu was admitted to the Shijiazhuang No. 1 Detention Center on January 1, 2015. He has been held in cell No. 101 for over five months now.

Parties involved in persecuting Mr. Wu:No. 1 Shijiazhuang Detention Center: [phone], [phone], [phone], [phone]Zhang Shaofeng (张绍锋), director of the detention centerJiao Jincai (焦金彩), deputy director: [phone]Song Liang (宋亮), judgeWang Xingfeng (王兴峰), judge (person responsible for the persecution)Shijiazhuang Yuhua District Court: [phone]